The Opelousas courier., 1887-01-15

half IN hour later, her loose hair fallin,
round her like a mantle, her shining
eyes looking dreamily into tho glowing
Goals, the force of habit eve to leavl
to-night's work till tomorrow overcam'
her. So, thrusting her little bare fee
into her slippers, she took up her night
lamp, opened the door and ran light!
down the stairs.
II saw the mistletoe lying on the hal
table, and the step-ladder and twines ar
just where they left them. Huldah viii
be glad in the morning to find it DONE
And a moment later she was perche.
half way up the ladder, in the great, old.
shadowy hall. Such an odd, pretty pic
ture IN the greenery and gloom, with he
snowy dressing-gown of cashmere ant
swansdown trailing about her, the loos'
sleeves falling away from the white, up
lifted arms, that shower of golden.browr
hair ripping over her shoulders.
Five minutes later, some one leaned
over the banisters above, only to draw
back with a Mortified gasp and shocked
face. There was a cautious opening ant
shutting Of doors, q few magical, whis
pered words spread from lip to lip, ano
then every corridor in the manor seemed
full of stealing, noiseless spectres.
They were all moving toward the Crane
stairway.
"You're shure, Huldah?"
Positive! A perfect stranger. 1t j.
shockingp
But her heart was beating with exulta.
tion.
Now would her cousin be banishedi
Now would she be Caspar Ferris heiressi
"Dear Uncle Caspar-look!"
Half a dozen pairs of curious eyes
peeped over the banisters, and saw,
A great hall in shadow, save for the
light of a small lamp. In the centre Of
the apartment a step-ladder. Half way
up, a slight, white, fairy figure. Direct
ly overhead, a great bunch of mistletoe.
Below, his head not quito reaching her
shoulder, a young MANA very hand
some young man--Sir Cecil Lighton.
He was holding one of the girl hands
tightly in his own Her bright hair
dropped over his shoulder.
"Oh-hr from the stairway spectres.
An irrepressible young lady, changing
the first line to suit the occasion, MUIR
INJURED, mischievously:
"Over the step-ladder bends a face
Darling, sweet and beguiling;
Somebody stands in careless grace
And watches the picture smiling"
"You will keep it a secret? You won't
tells" in a whisper, from Geraldine.
"On my honor-nol Now, my mistle-
toe kiss, sweetheart"
The fair head dropped; the rosy lips
met his.
"Oh-h!n
The condemnatory sigh had risen to a
faint roar.
Geraldine started and looked up. Good
gracious! what was that white phalanx
on the stairs2
Old Caspar Ferris and his niece hur-
ried down.
Geraldine" cried Huldah, her voice
trembling more with jealousy than right
cons indignation, her greenish eyes fash
ing, 'how can you explain such
conduct? And Sir Cecil a stranger
"a perfect strangerl You leave this
house in the morning"
But Geraldine looked more proud than
ashamed, and blushed deliciously.
Sir Cecil laughed "a hearty, ringing,
laugh-and put one arm around
her with an air of happy proprietorship.
mot quite such strangers as you
Miss Ferris. Our places in.Ireland
join you know, and Geraldine and 1have
been engaged for three years. We were
married privately a month ago, and have
just returned from our wedding trip to
Paris. We came down together to-day,
but this willful little woman took it in
her pretty head to disdain her husband
for q few days. But" dolefully, ''see
how 0 o her p~ie-erust plan is broken!
Any further explanations, laughingly,
Lady Leighton will Offer"
And Lady Leighton, blissful and smil-
ing, and pretty as a picture, came down
from her perilous porch.
How they clustered around her, with
laughter and tender congratula-
tons, till the midnight music of the
Christmas bells changed over the frozen
snowl
my first and last plot said Lady
Geraldine, $50 ruthlessly marred under
the mistletoe."
MANY merry Christmasses, = my dear,
said Caspar Ferris, lovingly.
And Huldah knew how unwornanly she
had been, and how wholly her darker plot
had failed.
Magnettsatson Of Watches.
The chances Of injury to watches by
- - 49, ..FE